Chapter 8
I quickly looked down, not wanting to get caught staring—
Not when there was that faint smile lingering on his face.
It was the same boy I’d seen earlier in the valley.
I’d thought he was part of some wealthy family visiting this fancy mansion, but it turned out that he was connected to Jin Eun-sol’s world in a different way.
Something about being the son of an important business partner at Jin Sol’s company.
Of course.
Embarrassed by the eye contact, I flipped the skewers on the grill again.
They weren’t ready to be turned, but I did it anyway.
The fat from the meat dripped down with a hiss, sending sparks flying.
Ouch, hot…!
I jumped up instinctively, flapping my hands from the sudden burst of heat.
Then, right next to me, I heard a small laugh.
I bit my lower lip and turned my head. I expected it to be Jin Eun-sol.
Any second now, I thought he’d give me that look—half pity, half mockery—and say something like, “What are you even doing, are you an idiot?”
But no.
It was the boy.
He’d come over, holding an empty plate, and now he was smiling— with his cute dimples at display.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Are you okay?
I blinked. The question didn’t register right away.
Then I realized—he must’ve meant about my hand. The one that got splattered with hot grease.
Ah.
Without thinking, I glanced at the faint red mark on my hand.
I meant to say I was fine, but before I could speak, the boy looked at my hand with a flash of surprise—then smiled again.
His dimples deepened.
Something about that smile made my toes curl inside my shoes.
“Yeah, it looks okay,” he said, inspecting my hand more carefully.
Embarrassed, I quickly pulled my hand back.
Am I… acting weird?
The boy laughed softly again, covering his mouth with the hand that wasn’t holding the plate.
That smile—it was different from Jin Eun-sol’s.
Where Jin Eun-sol’s frown made my expression tighten, this boy’s warmth tugged at the corners of my mouth.
I found myself almost mimicking him, the tiniest twitch lifting my face.
“Huh? What’s this?” the boy asked suddenly.
He placed the empty plate on the table beside me and stepped a little closer.
What?
I blinked up at him.
If it had been Jin Eun-sol, I would’ve flinched.
My body would’ve shrunk in on itself, bracing for something harsh.
But this boy was smaller, gentler—nothing like Jin Sol’s looming presence.
The gravel beneath his feet crunched softly as he moved closer.
Then, his hand reached out.
It didn’t look like the hand that had slapped me before.
It felt safe.
Like I could finally exhale.
The pounding in my chest slowed.
Something like peace settled in.
His hand hovered near my face, casting a shadow under the light overhead.
And then—his fingers touched my cheek.
“Eek!”
He suddenly pulled back, stumbling as the gravel slid underfoot.
A few hurried steps, and then—
Crash!
A loud noise followed.
What—what just happened?
A flash of light hit my eyes, and the boy let go of my hand.
He looked around, squinting against the sudden brightness.
The boy was gone.
In his place, the grill had toppled over. Skewers and meat scattered across the gravel. My eyes darted instinctively, searching.
There—he was bent over a few feet away, groaning softly.
What just happened?
I looked around, confused. At the boy’s feet, dark gray charcoal still glowed faintly with heat.
That’s…
A chill ran through me.
Something felt wrong—deeply wrong.
My gaze snapped to Jin Eun-sol.
I didn’t know why, but my body turned before I even realized it. And when I saw him—
I froze.
He was already standing there, close to the fire pit where the skewers had been.
His face—
Twisted in fury.
His eyes fixed on the boy like he wanted to tear his limb apart.
The rage in his expression was so feral, I almost expected to hear snarling between his gritted teeth.
Then I looked down— His hand.
Burned.
“Ugh…” I gasped, grabbing the water jug nearby and rushing to him.
Why was he even here? Shouldn’t he have been at the table?
I opened the cap and poured water over his hand. The black charcoal washed away, revealing raw, red skin underneath. My throat tightened.
“Hey… are you okay?”
I held his burned hand, but his gaze never shifted.
He was still staring at the boy like he was something dangerous. Like an animal.
Then he muttered it—
“That damn mutt…”
A low growl beneath his breath.
It was the first time I’d ever heard him curse.
I flinched.
And then—his head whipped around.
His eyes locked onto me.
Sharp. Furious. Wild.
That glare alone made my breath catch, as if it could tear the air from my lungs.
But he didn’t say a word.
Instead, his hand lifted slowly.
I tensed, shutting my eyes and bracing for a slap.
But…
His wet hand brushed gently against my cheek.
That was all.
Just a touch.
Then the chaos returned. The barbecue area felt like it had been hit by a storm.
Everyone was talking, confused. Some were yelling.
Apparently—Jin Eun-sol had thrown the burning charcoal at the boy.
But the boy had stepped in to protect me, saying the oil had splattered and he’d just reacted.
Jin Eun-sol didn’t argue.
He didn’t explain.
He just stared the boy down with disgust and clenched his burnt fists tighter.
Even more disturbing—his other hand, the one he hadn’t burned, was bleeding. The skin peeled, his nails bitten to the quick.
I noticed the raw patches and asked quietly if we should go to the hospital.
But he snapped.
Said it was nothing.
His voice cracked with hysteria.
He didn’t calm down until we left the mansion. But even then, he stayed sharp-edged, brittle.
And he turned it all on me.
“What were you talking about with him?” he demanded.
“I didn’t do anything,” I said quietly.
But he just looked at me with cold, narrowed eyes. His mouth curled into a bitter smile.
The kind that hurt more than yelling.
“Is that so? Then why did you laugh?”
His words exploded like fire, burning through me.
Did I… laugh?
Can’t I… talk to someone?
Even just a little?
